It Free. It's a Thread. C'mon in.
May 20, 2024 12:22 PM Subscribe
A favorite moment of perfect comedic timing from The Muppets' Seven Deadly Sins/ Sex and Violence. it's safe for work.
This is my very 1st free thread post. Happy Monday.
This is my very 1st free thread post. Happy Monday.
10 days ago, there was a big solar storm and the Northern and Southern Lights were strong enough to see as far south as Florida in the northern hemi. I saw the indicators, lots of chatter on groups, headed north. Started seeing interesting stuff in the sky, wavy lines, maybe greenish. Texted friends, called my son, drove further north and stayed up a lot of the night. Not quite 180 degrees of width, but a dramatic display with ribbons, and moving blue and green lights, and a particular pattern directly overhead. Bucket list event for me; I've considered going to Alaska, but hate to spend my carbon/ flight budget on something with no guarantee. Maine is so often overcast and I've gone out at night to see a fully obscured sky.
Losing most of a night's sleep took days of recovery. worth it. I've seen the aurora before, never in such color and activity.
posted by theora55 at 12:33 PM on May 20 [17 favorites]
Losing most of a night's sleep took days of recovery. worth it. I've seen the aurora before, never in such color and activity.
posted by theora55 at 12:33 PM on May 20 [17 favorites]
At new job. All is great except for the annoyance of not being allowed to have phone use at all in the cubes, because people tried to commit crimes. Otherwise totally loving new boss and how she thinks and training plans. So far, so good.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:44 PM on May 20 [25 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:44 PM on May 20 [25 favorites]
Today I love free because we are getting a free roof (sans deductible).
Our roof was pretty old and, after a recent hailstorm, started leaking. We kind of figured the insurance company would just say too bad, an old roof will do that but we had them come out anyway. We set most of the money aside from an unusually good month (we are in sales, things vary) as a start on a fund for a repalcement roof, figuring the cost would fall to us. We just found out they accepted the claim from the hail damage. They're covering us for a new roof!
Now we're thinking that little windfall might get used to fix the crappy downstairs bathroom into something the teen could call their own.
Life feels okay today.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:52 PM on May 20 [25 favorites]
Our roof was pretty old and, after a recent hailstorm, started leaking. We kind of figured the insurance company would just say too bad, an old roof will do that but we had them come out anyway. We set most of the money aside from an unusually good month (we are in sales, things vary) as a start on a fund for a repalcement roof, figuring the cost would fall to us. We just found out they accepted the claim from the hail damage. They're covering us for a new roof!
Now we're thinking that little windfall might get used to fix the crappy downstairs bathroom into something the teen could call their own.
Life feels okay today.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:52 PM on May 20 [25 favorites]
I am in phase one of the Oceans' Eleven Networking to get me into one job, I've got a recruiter working on a second job to get them to raise the rate for me, and I've just applied to a third job at a place where one of my beloved former bosses may have a connection....and it's barely a week since I got let go and I haven't even collected my final paycheck from them yet.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:58 PM on May 20 [9 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:58 PM on May 20 [9 favorites]
In a chaotic house:
Full rewire being done by an amiable young electrician
Kitchen tiles being done by an amiable older tattooed guy
Defrosting the fridge tonight ahead of New Fridge Day tomorrow. (Current fridge was here when I moved in in 2010; it was a true warrior but its time has come.)
Today I bought a cool-box and a cool-bag. Tomorow I foresee a multi-point CanIEatThis AskMe.
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:02 PM on May 20 [10 favorites]
Full rewire being done by an amiable young electrician
Kitchen tiles being done by an amiable older tattooed guy
Defrosting the fridge tonight ahead of New Fridge Day tomorrow. (Current fridge was here when I moved in in 2010; it was a true warrior but its time has come.)
Today I bought a cool-box and a cool-bag. Tomorow I foresee a multi-point CanIEatThis AskMe.
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:02 PM on May 20 [10 favorites]
The pigeons on my windowsill have always made noise from time to time (mostly pigeon fight club), but in the last couple of days one has gone absolutely insane. It will jackhammers its filthy little beak right on the window pane. Another noise confused me until I figured out that it was kicking the bottom of the window frame with its little toe claws.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 1:04 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]
posted by paper chromatographologist at 1:04 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]
my husband is a musician and an audiophile. he cannot afford the level of stereo equipment he would most like to have. so instead he goes through these insane phases of cruising craigslist and ebay for second-hand audiophile gear. and buying it.
we currently have 3 separate sets of floor speakers, 3 or 4 receivers, 3? CD players, in a swirl of rotation as he A/B tests them. or, as I have pointed out A/B/C/D...because the permutations of these components is approaching a 3 body problem level of complexity. my house is small and I do not like clutter. he has promised he will sell the ones he doesn't want to keep, once finished the testing. but he is still shopping...
(he is also ADHD and tends to perseverate at LENGTH all the very technical details about why one component is so special and great. it's all right over my head but "yes, dear, that is very wonderful".)
on the other hand, we've been spending a lot of time on the nice couch, listening to music REALLY LOUD, whilst drinking some wine and ooohing and ahhhing over the music. which is pretty fun.
posted by supermedusa at 1:08 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]
we currently have 3 separate sets of floor speakers, 3 or 4 receivers, 3? CD players, in a swirl of rotation as he A/B tests them. or, as I have pointed out A/B/C/D...because the permutations of these components is approaching a 3 body problem level of complexity. my house is small and I do not like clutter. he has promised he will sell the ones he doesn't want to keep, once finished the testing. but he is still shopping...
(he is also ADHD and tends to perseverate at LENGTH all the very technical details about why one component is so special and great. it's all right over my head but "yes, dear, that is very wonderful".)
on the other hand, we've been spending a lot of time on the nice couch, listening to music REALLY LOUD, whilst drinking some wine and ooohing and ahhhing over the music. which is pretty fun.
posted by supermedusa at 1:08 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]
Continuing to enjoy my early summer back in rural Worcestershire. I'm not far from the village of Martin Hussingtree, which itself is between Droitwich (one decent coffee place, five regular swans) and Worcester (several decent coffee shops, too many swans to count). A few pictures here, and this album will grow the longer I stay here.
I've made quite a few changes to my life since last December. Amongst other things I'm a student yet again (but surprisingly not the oldest person on my philosophy course). This is only for ten weeks, but I have my eye on a longer course in the near future; there is a plan here.
But when I'm not staring at the screen, I'm out for walks. Well, until I come across ... persuasive ... signs. It's weird how rural this area is while at the same time I went to school from ages 12 to 16 in quite urban location, only a few miles south of here.
It's probably going to be a hot one this summer, northern hemisphere friends, colleagues, druids, online connections and lovers. Take precautions while you can.
(And thank you, theora55, for the post)
posted by Wordshore at 1:20 PM on May 20 [11 favorites]
I've made quite a few changes to my life since last December. Amongst other things I'm a student yet again (but surprisingly not the oldest person on my philosophy course). This is only for ten weeks, but I have my eye on a longer course in the near future; there is a plan here.
But when I'm not staring at the screen, I'm out for walks. Well, until I come across ... persuasive ... signs. It's weird how rural this area is while at the same time I went to school from ages 12 to 16 in quite urban location, only a few miles south of here.
It's probably going to be a hot one this summer, northern hemisphere friends, colleagues, druids, online connections and lovers. Take precautions while you can.
(And thank you, theora55, for the post)
posted by Wordshore at 1:20 PM on May 20 [11 favorites]
A year ago I was living out of my car in a Wal-Mart parking lot.
Nine months ago I checked myself into a hospital, ghostlike and barely alive..
Six months ago I was living in a medical respite facility for the homeless and starting dialysis.
Three months ago I was living in transitional housing.
At age 56 (almost 57), I finally have a girlfriend, who kept me alive when I wasn't even sure who I was and didn't know if I wanted to live. We take turns talking each other down from ledges, pretty much daily.
Tomorrow, I move into my own apartment on full disability.
I win.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 1:27 PM on May 20 [104 favorites]
Nine months ago I checked myself into a hospital, ghostlike and barely alive..
Six months ago I was living in a medical respite facility for the homeless and starting dialysis.
Three months ago I was living in transitional housing.
At age 56 (almost 57), I finally have a girlfriend, who kept me alive when I wasn't even sure who I was and didn't know if I wanted to live. We take turns talking each other down from ledges, pretty much daily.
Tomorrow, I move into my own apartment on full disability.
I win.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 1:27 PM on May 20 [104 favorites]
Production upgrade over the weekend and 60% of the development team was out today because it was an official holiday in multiple places.
I’m backup #3 to get development eyes on issues that cannot be solved by support. Guess where all the tickets landed?
Another noise confused me until I figured out that it was kicking the bottom of the window frame with its little toe claws.
The image I have in my head of the pigeon is so freaking delightful. I AM THE PIGEON.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 1:32 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]
I’m backup #3 to get development eyes on issues that cannot be solved by support. Guess where all the tickets landed?
Another noise confused me until I figured out that it was kicking the bottom of the window frame with its little toe claws.
The image I have in my head of the pigeon is so freaking delightful. I AM THE PIGEON.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 1:32 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]
Film student update: I've mentioned I've been blaming my lack of creative output on writer's block, which is partly true. It's not impossible for me to write or create, and professors have given me compliments on the quality of my work, so it's not completely gone, it just feels like walking through deep mud in the winter to get there.
One thing I've also noticed is that if inspiration doesn't hit me immediately, I go directly into panic mode, I get anxious and angry at being forced to be creative with a deadline. After an early somewhat frantic communication with one professor, I became self-aware of this reaction, but it has been there throughout and I don't think it has helped me, the projects that are produced from that reaction aren't as high a quality as I'd like because I knee-jerk into getting it done rather than getting it done right.
My only summer semester class is Screenwriting, which is, essentially, a creative writing class, so that anxiety came up just from reading through the syllabus. It's only a 4-week course so there's writing assignments twice a week, I don't have time to be anxious but that adds to the panic.
The first creative assignment sounded simple: write two 150-word synopses for possible movie scripts, neither are committed to for the whole course (although that would help). And, there it came, growling at me from the end of a dark tunnel, that hostility and fear towards being creative. How could I possibly come up with two ideas? One idea, maybe, but two? and by next Wednesday? I read and re-read the assignment, which was only about 150 words long itself, and did most of its lifting by referring me to the textbook, inflating my anxiety to unmanageable levels.
I think what I did this time helped: I hit "close" on the online learning portal and didn't go back to it until the next day. No thinking about it, I started on this early, just take a break from it.
On going back to it, this time my resistance to impelled art was quieter, and let me think about the assignment a little bit. What I needed was inspiration, and the textbook recommended things like read other scripts, browse interesting newspaper articles, go out into the world and just look around. I didn't force myself to immediately dig into things, I set aside some time later in the day to do it, and didn't think of it until then.
I have, through past creative endeavors, a massive archive of old news articles, bits of ephemera, nonfiction articles I've written, and, without pushing myself or forcing an outcome, just started browsing them.
It took about an hour, but then it came: holy cow, the floodgates of creativity opened wide.
That's not to say the creativity wasn't always there, but I basically learned to lie to myself about the urgency of getting homework done to get there. I don't know that either of these movie ideas are particularly good -- one I think might be, and am going to use it as the basis for future assignments, the 2nd assignment was to write a bio for the main character and I've already done it too. But, I think the most important thing I'll have learned in this class is to not panic over being assigned to be creative, give it some time and it'll come to me.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:34 PM on May 20 [13 favorites]
One thing I've also noticed is that if inspiration doesn't hit me immediately, I go directly into panic mode, I get anxious and angry at being forced to be creative with a deadline. After an early somewhat frantic communication with one professor, I became self-aware of this reaction, but it has been there throughout and I don't think it has helped me, the projects that are produced from that reaction aren't as high a quality as I'd like because I knee-jerk into getting it done rather than getting it done right.
My only summer semester class is Screenwriting, which is, essentially, a creative writing class, so that anxiety came up just from reading through the syllabus. It's only a 4-week course so there's writing assignments twice a week, I don't have time to be anxious but that adds to the panic.
The first creative assignment sounded simple: write two 150-word synopses for possible movie scripts, neither are committed to for the whole course (although that would help). And, there it came, growling at me from the end of a dark tunnel, that hostility and fear towards being creative. How could I possibly come up with two ideas? One idea, maybe, but two? and by next Wednesday? I read and re-read the assignment, which was only about 150 words long itself, and did most of its lifting by referring me to the textbook, inflating my anxiety to unmanageable levels.
I think what I did this time helped: I hit "close" on the online learning portal and didn't go back to it until the next day. No thinking about it, I started on this early, just take a break from it.
On going back to it, this time my resistance to impelled art was quieter, and let me think about the assignment a little bit. What I needed was inspiration, and the textbook recommended things like read other scripts, browse interesting newspaper articles, go out into the world and just look around. I didn't force myself to immediately dig into things, I set aside some time later in the day to do it, and didn't think of it until then.
I have, through past creative endeavors, a massive archive of old news articles, bits of ephemera, nonfiction articles I've written, and, without pushing myself or forcing an outcome, just started browsing them.
It took about an hour, but then it came: holy cow, the floodgates of creativity opened wide.
That's not to say the creativity wasn't always there, but I basically learned to lie to myself about the urgency of getting homework done to get there. I don't know that either of these movie ideas are particularly good -- one I think might be, and am going to use it as the basis for future assignments, the 2nd assignment was to write a bio for the main character and I've already done it too. But, I think the most important thing I'll have learned in this class is to not panic over being assigned to be creative, give it some time and it'll come to me.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:34 PM on May 20 [13 favorites]
Last night, my desk chair chose death. Despite its sudden yet inevitable betrayal, I got away with just a skinned elbow. It was pretty startling nevertheless. Scared the hell out of my downstairs housemates when they heard me hit the floor.
It had been starting to squeak and complain, so I was already considering replacing it. This just forced the issue. I got a reasonable replacement from Costco this afternoon, not assembled yet.
posted by notoriety public at 1:36 PM on May 20 [13 favorites]
It had been starting to squeak and complain, so I was already considering replacing it. This just forced the issue. I got a reasonable replacement from Costco this afternoon, not assembled yet.
posted by notoriety public at 1:36 PM on May 20 [13 favorites]
Somehow despite it all we managed to get a lease signed on an apartment and a move scheduled. The new place isn't all that we wanted but we both fell at least a little in love with it on first sight, so I'm going to call that a win.
Also I've been on the record that Chicago has exactly 6 apartment layouts and with this one I get to say I've lived in 5 of the 6. (Still never had the chance to live in a classic two-flat layout!)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:48 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]
Also I've been on the record that Chicago has exactly 6 apartment layouts and with this one I get to say I've lived in 5 of the 6. (Still never had the chance to live in a classic two-flat layout!)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:48 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]
Currently navigating the Boston transportation system, all by myself.
posted by JanetLand at 1:49 PM on May 20 [9 favorites]
posted by JanetLand at 1:49 PM on May 20 [9 favorites]
Bike was stolen at some point in the past few days from one of the two bike garages in my building. Two magnetically locked doors to get in/out, so somebody must’ve followed a resident in, cut through the braided steel cable, and walked off with it. There was a security camera pointed right at it.
There are several ebikes in that garage that cost up to $2500 - four times as much - some of them with even shittier cables locking them in place. I’d feel weirdly targeted if I left the house more than twice a week or ever spoke to anybody, ever, except my hair stylist and pharmacist (I do not).
It’s a fairly nice entry-level light trail bike from five years ago, a Trek DualSport I ride weekly to pick up meds and/or hit the Whole Foods salad bar across the street from the pharmacy. Whoever stole it apparently missed the Airtag in a watertight container disguised to look like some kind of mechanical greeble under the seat. Because of that I was able to give the cops the address where it’s been taken to, another large apartment building a quarter mile west of Davis Square. I strolled by that evening on the opposite side of the street and saw two large and extremely unhappy* gentlemen standing in the doorway of the unit it would most likely be in. Just kept walking.
*I only gave them the briefest of glances, but their expressions screamed they would rather be anywhere else doing anything else. And I for one fully endorse their desire for personal growth into the kind of people who don’t steal my bike.
Will I see it again? I’m not getting my hopes up, but the officer who took my report perked up a fair bit when I was able to tell her “it pinged as being located at 8 Cameron Ave, the units behind the Mediterranean Grill, 34 minutes ago.” Maybe I’ll get it back, maybe not.
On the plus side, my long fight to get my car registration transferred from Texas: 15 months, 38 phone calls, 6 in-person RMV visits and $420 worth of FedExing documents ended in victory the day before I discovered my bike was missing. So I am if anything vastly more able to get around town than I was before. Do not ever - and I cannot sufficiently stress this - ever leave Texas with your name on the same car loan as your ex-spouse. Fucking hell.
(On preview: hah! My comment is also about Boston transportation)
posted by Ryvar at 1:59 PM on May 20 [11 favorites]
There are several ebikes in that garage that cost up to $2500 - four times as much - some of them with even shittier cables locking them in place. I’d feel weirdly targeted if I left the house more than twice a week or ever spoke to anybody, ever, except my hair stylist and pharmacist (I do not).
It’s a fairly nice entry-level light trail bike from five years ago, a Trek DualSport I ride weekly to pick up meds and/or hit the Whole Foods salad bar across the street from the pharmacy. Whoever stole it apparently missed the Airtag in a watertight container disguised to look like some kind of mechanical greeble under the seat. Because of that I was able to give the cops the address where it’s been taken to, another large apartment building a quarter mile west of Davis Square. I strolled by that evening on the opposite side of the street and saw two large and extremely unhappy* gentlemen standing in the doorway of the unit it would most likely be in. Just kept walking.
*I only gave them the briefest of glances, but their expressions screamed they would rather be anywhere else doing anything else. And I for one fully endorse their desire for personal growth into the kind of people who don’t steal my bike.
Will I see it again? I’m not getting my hopes up, but the officer who took my report perked up a fair bit when I was able to tell her “it pinged as being located at 8 Cameron Ave, the units behind the Mediterranean Grill, 34 minutes ago.” Maybe I’ll get it back, maybe not.
On the plus side, my long fight to get my car registration transferred from Texas: 15 months, 38 phone calls, 6 in-person RMV visits and $420 worth of FedExing documents ended in victory the day before I discovered my bike was missing. So I am if anything vastly more able to get around town than I was before. Do not ever - and I cannot sufficiently stress this - ever leave Texas with your name on the same car loan as your ex-spouse. Fucking hell.
(On preview: hah! My comment is also about Boston transportation)
posted by Ryvar at 1:59 PM on May 20 [11 favorites]
I am unreasonably excited, perhaps reasonably excited, about a camping trip with some of my favorite mefites this weekend. We are scattered all over and have been talking about this for literally years, and are finally making it happen!
Bonus, another favorite mefite will be here the weekend after this, and double bonus, ran into 2 other favorite mefites at a concert last week and am making plans to hang out with them.
Y'all know who you are.
posted by gingerbeer at 2:24 PM on May 20 [9 favorites]
Bonus, another favorite mefite will be here the weekend after this, and double bonus, ran into 2 other favorite mefites at a concert last week and am making plans to hang out with them.
Y'all know who you are.
posted by gingerbeer at 2:24 PM on May 20 [9 favorites]
This morning (early morning) was a very lively time in my house.
I was preparing to fall asleep finally - 2ish or so when suddenly a heard a piece of glass *clink*. Now earlier I had heard some scrabbling and I had seen a dropping in another room so I knew what this meant. I live in a century house and this is a war that's long ongoing.
The glass clinking though told me I had a visitor in my room and that just wouldn't do. I quickly figured out they were behind the barrister bookcase. I quickly grabbed the loaded trap I'd set out elsewhere and gingerly placed it in the track away from the barrister bookcase back towards the glass lamp that had clinked. Laid down, waited 10 or so minutes and *snap*.
Sorry Mr. Rat, I'm animal lover and a peaceful person, but my one rule is if you come in the house, that's it. Hang outside with the persimmon and avocado trees and I'll leave you be.
Can only imagine what my neighbors thought if they saw me toddle down to the trash can with gloves holding a plastic bag at 2:30 in the morning.
Just afterwards, my favorite cat sauntered into the room with all 27 toes clicking on the hardwood as I was cleaning and asked in her politest meow if there was anything she could do to help me. I very curtly informed her that the time for her help had since passed and we would be revisiting her kibble rates at a later date in light of this dereliction of duties.
posted by drewbage1847 at 2:26 PM on May 20 [22 favorites]
I was preparing to fall asleep finally - 2ish or so when suddenly a heard a piece of glass *clink*. Now earlier I had heard some scrabbling and I had seen a dropping in another room so I knew what this meant. I live in a century house and this is a war that's long ongoing.
The glass clinking though told me I had a visitor in my room and that just wouldn't do. I quickly figured out they were behind the barrister bookcase. I quickly grabbed the loaded trap I'd set out elsewhere and gingerly placed it in the track away from the barrister bookcase back towards the glass lamp that had clinked. Laid down, waited 10 or so minutes and *snap*.
Sorry Mr. Rat, I'm animal lover and a peaceful person, but my one rule is if you come in the house, that's it. Hang outside with the persimmon and avocado trees and I'll leave you be.
Can only imagine what my neighbors thought if they saw me toddle down to the trash can with gloves holding a plastic bag at 2:30 in the morning.
Just afterwards, my favorite cat sauntered into the room with all 27 toes clicking on the hardwood as I was cleaning and asked in her politest meow if there was anything she could do to help me. I very curtly informed her that the time for her help had since passed and we would be revisiting her kibble rates at a later date in light of this dereliction of duties.
posted by drewbage1847 at 2:26 PM on May 20 [22 favorites]
Happy 92nd Birthday, Dieter Rams! Alles gute zum Geburtstag!
If you didn't catch the Gary Hustwit documentary Rams when it launched in 2020 (previously), it's currently streaming for free today and tomorrow at this site.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:28 PM on May 20 [2 favorites]
If you didn't catch the Gary Hustwit documentary Rams when it launched in 2020 (previously), it's currently streaming for free today and tomorrow at this site.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:28 PM on May 20 [2 favorites]
A week ago Monday, I was in that liminal just-waking-up state at about 5 in the morning. I heard a tremendous crash from the living room. It took a few moments to process what happened and at the same time, try to calm my frantic heartbeat.
In the living room for a second everything looked OK. And then I saw that the window to the street had completely shattered leaving large and small pieces of glass everywhere. The cats were hunkered down under the kitchen table. I lured them into the garage for safety, got some gloves and started picking up the glass. And tried to figure out what happened. I texted my family and my brother (who is thankfully, a morning person) came over and really helped with the clean up and placing cardboard over the window. We speculated on what could have caused it to break so completely (double-pane "e" rated glass). Was it the cats? A rock from outside?
I called a local glass company and luckily the fellow I spoke with was on his way to do work at a house in my neighborhood and agreed to come by and give me an estimate. He looked at the window and said that a wild Turkey had flown into it! He said the cats couldn't have broken the glass, and the screen was intact except for two big tears at the bottom where the turkey had it's claws out. He said the Toms get feisty and attack their reflection. Fortunately, it appears the bird wasn't hurt--no blood or feathers.
Today, the glass guy is here to make the repairs. I live in a suburban/wildlife interface area (meaning there are tree covered hills and grassland nearby) so my new pane has to be tempered. At some point I will need to replace all my glass. This one 30x40 pane will be $500. Because of my location, the local fire department has a grant program that will refund 1/2 the cost. I didn't want to use insurance, because all the companies are cancelling policies here in California.
All-in-all an interesting event. (I am still finding tiny and not so tiny bits of glass).
posted by agatha_magatha at 2:33 PM on May 20 [15 favorites]
In the living room for a second everything looked OK. And then I saw that the window to the street had completely shattered leaving large and small pieces of glass everywhere. The cats were hunkered down under the kitchen table. I lured them into the garage for safety, got some gloves and started picking up the glass. And tried to figure out what happened. I texted my family and my brother (who is thankfully, a morning person) came over and really helped with the clean up and placing cardboard over the window. We speculated on what could have caused it to break so completely (double-pane "e" rated glass). Was it the cats? A rock from outside?
I called a local glass company and luckily the fellow I spoke with was on his way to do work at a house in my neighborhood and agreed to come by and give me an estimate. He looked at the window and said that a wild Turkey had flown into it! He said the cats couldn't have broken the glass, and the screen was intact except for two big tears at the bottom where the turkey had it's claws out. He said the Toms get feisty and attack their reflection. Fortunately, it appears the bird wasn't hurt--no blood or feathers.
Today, the glass guy is here to make the repairs. I live in a suburban/wildlife interface area (meaning there are tree covered hills and grassland nearby) so my new pane has to be tempered. At some point I will need to replace all my glass. This one 30x40 pane will be $500. Because of my location, the local fire department has a grant program that will refund 1/2 the cost. I didn't want to use insurance, because all the companies are cancelling policies here in California.
All-in-all an interesting event. (I am still finding tiny and not so tiny bits of glass).
posted by agatha_magatha at 2:33 PM on May 20 [15 favorites]
In the last free thread, I talked about my terrible boss and how we were waiting for the Board to meet and decide next steps. Well, the next steps are putting our boss on a 30-day suspension (with full pay and benefits) as they make a formal investigation. But they've also made it clear that they're supporting us and the investigation is to make sure the terrible boss can't sue for wrongful termination. They're even hiring a PR firm to help with the regime change so that our clients aren't too disrupted.
For the next few days while she's out of town, everyone is getting their ducks in a row in order to make sure we can take over her responsibilities (which we mostly do anyway) because as soon as the board meets with her (it sounds like it will be a phone call, because she still won't tell us when she's returning from her vacation!), we'll disable her access on everything that we can.
We're all feeling lighter and happier and more productive since we don't have to deal with her constant hot-and-cold judgements on what we do. Plus we all decided to take Memorial Day off because the office is closed (but as our terrible boss liked to continually remind us, just because the office is closed to clients, doesn't mean there still isn't work for us to do). So everyone is looking forward to a three-day weekend without guilt or justification!
posted by paisley sheep at 3:06 PM on May 20 [21 favorites]
For the next few days while she's out of town, everyone is getting their ducks in a row in order to make sure we can take over her responsibilities (which we mostly do anyway) because as soon as the board meets with her (it sounds like it will be a phone call, because she still won't tell us when she's returning from her vacation!), we'll disable her access on everything that we can.
We're all feeling lighter and happier and more productive since we don't have to deal with her constant hot-and-cold judgements on what we do. Plus we all decided to take Memorial Day off because the office is closed (but as our terrible boss liked to continually remind us, just because the office is closed to clients, doesn't mean there still isn't work for us to do). So everyone is looking forward to a three-day weekend without guilt or justification!
posted by paisley sheep at 3:06 PM on May 20 [21 favorites]
YouTube threw this concert by composer/singer/technologist Hania Rani into my feed this morning and I really enjoyed it...my fellow electronic music nerds, check it out!
posted by daisystomper at 3:22 PM on May 20
posted by daisystomper at 3:22 PM on May 20
My Spring 25 course schedule is proving particularly finicky this year, for some reason (I'm the chair, I have to put together the schedule...), so I've been sighing a lot. Also doing annual reports. Once I am liberated from those, I get to celebrate by...updating our online catalog? Hmmm. But then I can get back to writing, so there's that.
For fun, I'm going to Chicago in July! I've not been back since 2011 or 2012, I think. Will go to museums, buy many secondhand books, eat good food, and see a play.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:37 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]
For fun, I'm going to Chicago in July! I've not been back since 2011 or 2012, I think. Will go to museums, buy many secondhand books, eat good food, and see a play.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:37 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]
Somehow despite it all we managed to get a lease signed on an apartment and a move scheduled.
Congratulations!
(Still never had the chance to live in a classic two-flat layout!)
My first apartment in the city was a two-flat! Back in 1999, in Logan Square. Half a block from the Logan Square Blue Line stop, it was really living the dream. My shriveled suburban-born soul was smitten by the romance of a car-free downtown commute.
posted by notoriety public at 3:37 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
Congratulations!
(Still never had the chance to live in a classic two-flat layout!)
My first apartment in the city was a two-flat! Back in 1999, in Logan Square. Half a block from the Logan Square Blue Line stop, it was really living the dream. My shriveled suburban-born soul was smitten by the romance of a car-free downtown commute.
posted by notoriety public at 3:37 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
I've been waiting for one of these for a while and previously I had stories to share, but now I've got nothing, at least nothing I can remember, except I started a little project involving sandwiches. And now all I can do is think in sandwiches.
posted by Stanczyk at 4:03 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]
posted by Stanczyk at 4:03 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]
Shout out to the dead queen who made this holiday possible!
I planted my cannabis seedlings. Usually I put them in large fabric pots to chase the sun around the yard, but this year I'm planting half directly in the ground, and the other half in the usual pots. This year's cultivars are: Black Domina, Bubba Kush, and Headband. I've never had a truly successful harvest so here's hoping this year.
I just finished watching the newest episode of the continuing to be magnificent Interview with the Vampire tv show. I also bought tickets for the Picklefest in Toronto in October. My sister, my best friend and me went last year for their first outing. It was great! It looks like my sister coming to the annual Picklefest could be a tradition in which she gets a feminist top-up from supportive women in her life once a year.
posted by Kitteh at 4:04 PM on May 20 [7 favorites]
I planted my cannabis seedlings. Usually I put them in large fabric pots to chase the sun around the yard, but this year I'm planting half directly in the ground, and the other half in the usual pots. This year's cultivars are: Black Domina, Bubba Kush, and Headband. I've never had a truly successful harvest so here's hoping this year.
I just finished watching the newest episode of the continuing to be magnificent Interview with the Vampire tv show. I also bought tickets for the Picklefest in Toronto in October. My sister, my best friend and me went last year for their first outing. It was great! It looks like my sister coming to the annual Picklefest could be a tradition in which she gets a feminist top-up from supportive women in her life once a year.
posted by Kitteh at 4:04 PM on May 20 [7 favorites]
Omigaw.
So, for about 10 years now I've had a personal tradition: a shot of limoncello is the official house drink for "Some Serious Shit Went Down With My Job". When my roommate was an early Covid furlough, he broke the news to me by texting me "let me know where you keep the limoncello" (and when he got rehired he broke the news by texting me "what is the opposite of limoncello?").
I've just realized today: it's been a full six days since I got fired and I haven't even thought about having my traditional limoncello shot. I'm taking that as a sign that "damn, I guess I REALLY didn't like that job."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:13 PM on May 20 [14 favorites]
So, for about 10 years now I've had a personal tradition: a shot of limoncello is the official house drink for "Some Serious Shit Went Down With My Job". When my roommate was an early Covid furlough, he broke the news to me by texting me "let me know where you keep the limoncello" (and when he got rehired he broke the news by texting me "what is the opposite of limoncello?").
I've just realized today: it's been a full six days since I got fired and I haven't even thought about having my traditional limoncello shot. I'm taking that as a sign that "damn, I guess I REALLY didn't like that job."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:13 PM on May 20 [14 favorites]
So, since April I have been trying to sell my house so that my children and I can buy another, bigger house. This has been ridiculously stressful: all my books are in storage, along with my art supplies and half the furniture and most of the stuff in the linen closet and all the bathroom shelves and, anyway, it's been a bit dire. However, we got kind of used to living in the echoing half empty show home (the Toddler says, Where is my $thing and then she says It's in storage! and waves her hands in the air.) and it was all going fairly well. We had gotten all whoo hoo, we're excited about the other house, when can we move in, let's talk about a new couch! Until weeks passed and nobody bought my house. Nobody has even been looking at my house. And now, nobody seems to be buying anybody's house and more and more houses are going on the market.
I am now sadly resigned to the fact that we're all staying in the too small house and trying to figure out what can be done to make it more livable with the too small amount of money left over after this expensive adventure. It adds up: movers to put everything in storage; cleaners and landscapers so the house looks nice and like somewhere people want to live; meals out because we can't make a mess in the kitchen if we could even find the plates. And all that just to turn around and say, well, here we still are and there's still nowhere to put anything.
Meanwhile, my job remains insane, I'm way too busy so I keep falling into I am overwhelmed so must freeze mode, which is not helpful. And, a family crisis which has been brewing for a very long time has come to a head and I'm flying to North Carolina for three extremely stressful and also expensive days next week. If anyone wants to go out for a beverage or three around Wake Forest on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, hmu. I will likely be terrible company but oh I will be so grateful.
posted by mygothlaundry at 4:23 PM on May 20 [7 favorites]
I am now sadly resigned to the fact that we're all staying in the too small house and trying to figure out what can be done to make it more livable with the too small amount of money left over after this expensive adventure. It adds up: movers to put everything in storage; cleaners and landscapers so the house looks nice and like somewhere people want to live; meals out because we can't make a mess in the kitchen if we could even find the plates. And all that just to turn around and say, well, here we still are and there's still nowhere to put anything.
Meanwhile, my job remains insane, I'm way too busy so I keep falling into I am overwhelmed so must freeze mode, which is not helpful. And, a family crisis which has been brewing for a very long time has come to a head and I'm flying to North Carolina for three extremely stressful and also expensive days next week. If anyone wants to go out for a beverage or three around Wake Forest on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, hmu. I will likely be terrible company but oh I will be so grateful.
posted by mygothlaundry at 4:23 PM on May 20 [7 favorites]
I've been on the hunt for a writing chair for a long time. Standard office chairs don't work for me, or they enable bad habits -- I tend to lean to one side and/or back way too much. I've been on the hunt for a plain, sturdy wooden chair with four legs and an upright back at the correct height for a while ago. I found one several weeks ago next to a dumpster when someone was moving out, and it wasn't very cosmetically appealing, but it was a-OK otherwise.
So! I brought it home, cleaned it up, and then left it in quarantine for a week. (Here in Central VA, bedbugs are a serious issue, even for all-wood furniture). It had no problems, as it turned out, and it's wonderful. It fits my needs, and I seem to be able to sit in it upright for long stretches with no pain and without leaning.
What, you may ask, if you've made it this far in my boring little barely-an-anecdote, am I writing in my writing chair? A novelette. I have a perfectly good novel going, but I got one of those (for me) rare, strong pulls toward a new story, the strangeness of it amplified by the fact that I've never really written at that length before now. It's also both a somewhat different vibe from my usual stuff, and it draws on my background in Classics and ancient history, in ways I've tried to make work intentionally in past and rarely succeeded with. And now, out of nowhere, this thing. It's nice to know I can still surprise myself.
posted by cupcakeninja at 4:32 PM on May 20 [13 favorites]
So! I brought it home, cleaned it up, and then left it in quarantine for a week. (Here in Central VA, bedbugs are a serious issue, even for all-wood furniture). It had no problems, as it turned out, and it's wonderful. It fits my needs, and I seem to be able to sit in it upright for long stretches with no pain and without leaning.
What, you may ask, if you've made it this far in my boring little barely-an-anecdote, am I writing in my writing chair? A novelette. I have a perfectly good novel going, but I got one of those (for me) rare, strong pulls toward a new story, the strangeness of it amplified by the fact that I've never really written at that length before now. It's also both a somewhat different vibe from my usual stuff, and it draws on my background in Classics and ancient history, in ways I've tried to make work intentionally in past and rarely succeeded with. And now, out of nowhere, this thing. It's nice to know I can still surprise myself.
posted by cupcakeninja at 4:32 PM on May 20 [13 favorites]
Just finished Brothers Sun on nflx and it was really good.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:34 PM on May 20 [4 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:34 PM on May 20 [4 favorites]
My first apartment in the city was a two-flat! Back in 1999, in Logan Square. Half a block from the Logan Square Blue Line stop, it was really living the dream. My shriveled suburban-born soul was smitten by the romance of a car-free downtown commute.
My now-ex and I lost out on one of those by about 10 minutes when we were apartment-searching back in...I dunno, 2012ish? We were the second people to tour it but opted to apply by laptop at home instead of by phone immediate (I doubt the iPhone I had in 2012 could even have managed it) and therefore were beaten to the punch! God I loved that place -- it's the last time I was even in spitting distance of in-unit laundry, actually. Took another dozen years and 4 more apartments to actually pin that down.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 4:39 PM on May 20 [2 favorites]
My now-ex and I lost out on one of those by about 10 minutes when we were apartment-searching back in...I dunno, 2012ish? We were the second people to tour it but opted to apply by laptop at home instead of by phone immediate (I doubt the iPhone I had in 2012 could even have managed it) and therefore were beaten to the punch! God I loved that place -- it's the last time I was even in spitting distance of in-unit laundry, actually. Took another dozen years and 4 more apartments to actually pin that down.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 4:39 PM on May 20 [2 favorites]
Randy Rainbow dropped a new parody song today: FORTY-FIVE!
posted by otherchaz at 4:46 PM on May 20 [3 favorites]
posted by otherchaz at 4:46 PM on May 20 [3 favorites]
Heh, I scored that apartment indirectly, as my best friend lost her roommate and needed a replacement, and I had scored a downtown job a few months prior and was hating the Schaumburg reverse-commute, so it worked out great. Although my friend eventually wound up getting a boyfriend after a year or so, and she asked me to move out so they could shack up, but I got to trade out to probably one of the few exceptions to your "there are only 6 apartment plans in Chicago".
I got an attic apartment in one of the original-construction mansions on Humboldt Blvd, which was, for all intents and purposes, the largest studio apartment anyone will ever see. There was a huge bathroom, a gigantic kitchen, and an utterly colossal main room, in which my king-size bed inconspicuously tucked into a corner. And the landlord was big into antiquing, so it was decorated with stained glass and antique molding, as well as a staggeringly beautiful vintage O'keefe and Merritt stove, a confection in chrome and steel.
Honestly the only real downside was the terrifying outside walkup staircase, which was lethally treacherous in the winter. I still loved the place.
posted by notoriety public at 4:54 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]
I got an attic apartment in one of the original-construction mansions on Humboldt Blvd, which was, for all intents and purposes, the largest studio apartment anyone will ever see. There was a huge bathroom, a gigantic kitchen, and an utterly colossal main room, in which my king-size bed inconspicuously tucked into a corner. And the landlord was big into antiquing, so it was decorated with stained glass and antique molding, as well as a staggeringly beautiful vintage O'keefe and Merritt stove, a confection in chrome and steel.
Honestly the only real downside was the terrifying outside walkup staircase, which was lethally treacherous in the winter. I still loved the place.
posted by notoriety public at 4:54 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]
ANOTHER notice from a LANDLORD - BRUTAL RENTAL CRISIS in Australia
what's going on in Australia is nutso, the mirror image of Japan's housing surplus problem
Dystopian Nightmare – Australia's Housing Reaches New Absurdity
posted by torokunai at 5:17 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
what's going on in Australia is nutso, the mirror image of Japan's housing surplus problem
Dystopian Nightmare – Australia's Housing Reaches New Absurdity
posted by torokunai at 5:17 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
Took the scenic route to a new (to me) place to play PoGo in SoCal yesterday (Chino Hills, near the library). Yet another old (but well maintained) twisty route through the hills. Kinda miss having my Miata for drives like that. lol
Metamour's back home for a couple days, between working and getting to go to a show in Vegas this coming weekend. So it means I get more "me time" for a few days while I my boyfriend spends quality time with the Metamour. Then we get the holiday weekend to ourselves. Yay!
One of my cousins is getting married in like a month and is having her bridal shower on the 1st. There's going to be a "guess who brought these panties for you" thing, so I'm going to crochet her a pair using some nice cotton I got for another project I ran out of time to do. I hope it's received well, as I know crocheting was a thing with her Mom, Aunt, and Grandma, who have all passed on and can't be here to share in the joy.
posted by luckynerd at 5:21 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]
Metamour's back home for a couple days, between working and getting to go to a show in Vegas this coming weekend. So it means I get more "me time" for a few days while I my boyfriend spends quality time with the Metamour. Then we get the holiday weekend to ourselves. Yay!
One of my cousins is getting married in like a month and is having her bridal shower on the 1st. There's going to be a "guess who brought these panties for you" thing, so I'm going to crochet her a pair using some nice cotton I got for another project I ran out of time to do. I hope it's received well, as I know crocheting was a thing with her Mom, Aunt, and Grandma, who have all passed on and can't be here to share in the joy.
posted by luckynerd at 5:21 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]
I garden in large pots in our courtyards. My set list is Night Scented Stock; really strongly scented heirloom sweetpeas like Cupani, Black Night, Beaujolais, and April in Paris; Night Scented Stock; Black hollyhocks; Black Prince snapdragons; Night Scented Stock. The sweet peas, Chilean glory vines -- which the hummingbirds adore -- and Heavenly Blue morning glories climb bamboo sticks.
Oh, and I grow Ace of Spades scabiosa aka Pincushions flowers -- guess the color -- Jasmine tobacco and Night Scented Stock to name but a few more. Night Scented Stock, by the way, smells like cloves and jasmine by the way. VERY STRONGLY. After sunset it honeys the air as to make one swoon. All in all, I guess you could say a theme or two emerges.
Our apartment complex is rife with long planted perennials like lavender, Rosemary and lemon balm. All of which mosquitoes hate.
We have courtyard lawns which are quartered by dragonflies by day and Anna's hummingbirds by night, both hunting what mosquitoes we have. When I first saw our Anna's hummingbird -- there can be only one! -- hunting after dark, I thought to myself, Man, these floaters are getting bad.
Anyway, because of all these lagniappes, my fellow tenants cut me some slack.
posted by y2karl at 6:23 PM on May 20 [14 favorites]
Oh, and I grow Ace of Spades scabiosa aka Pincushions flowers -- guess the color -- Jasmine tobacco and Night Scented Stock to name but a few more. Night Scented Stock, by the way, smells like cloves and jasmine by the way. VERY STRONGLY. After sunset it honeys the air as to make one swoon. All in all, I guess you could say a theme or two emerges.
Our apartment complex is rife with long planted perennials like lavender, Rosemary and lemon balm. All of which mosquitoes hate.
We have courtyard lawns which are quartered by dragonflies by day and Anna's hummingbirds by night, both hunting what mosquitoes we have. When I first saw our Anna's hummingbird -- there can be only one! -- hunting after dark, I thought to myself, Man, these floaters are getting bad.
Anyway, because of all these lagniappes, my fellow tenants cut me some slack.
posted by y2karl at 6:23 PM on May 20 [14 favorites]
agatha_magatha, are you sure the glass company people don't go around town with a glass smashing device so they can come out and tell you it was definitely a wild turkey without any trace of blood or feathers, and sell you new windows?
I finally figured out how to replace the HVAC filter. Down the crawlspace ladder , crawl on pebbles under the unit that is attached to the ceiling of the crawlspace, hold flashlight in teeth (small plastic one I use walking dogs), unscrew filter cover. It was a satisfying effort and I'm glad I didn't wait for someone to come figure it out for me.
In case anyone missed it, there are already dozens of cute dog and cat and frog and bunny photo links in this Meta. Example, Stella and Toki, who I shall take this opportunity to link again.
posted by Glinn at 6:25 PM on May 20 [2 favorites]
I finally figured out how to replace the HVAC filter. Down the crawlspace ladder , crawl on pebbles under the unit that is attached to the ceiling of the crawlspace, hold flashlight in teeth (small plastic one I use walking dogs), unscrew filter cover. It was a satisfying effort and I'm glad I didn't wait for someone to come figure it out for me.
In case anyone missed it, there are already dozens of cute dog and cat and frog and bunny photo links in this Meta. Example, Stella and Toki, who I shall take this opportunity to link again.
posted by Glinn at 6:25 PM on May 20 [2 favorites]
are you sure the glass company people don't go around town with a glass smashing device
Honest to god... I worked for an automotive glass wholesaler for about a decade -- we'd seen the door glass or the windshield to the guy who was installing it -- anyway there was a scandal where three guys from one glass installer company were fired because they were going around and smashing in car windows at night in the hopes of driving up business for where they worked.
posted by hippybear at 6:56 PM on May 20 [4 favorites]
Honest to god... I worked for an automotive glass wholesaler for about a decade -- we'd seen the door glass or the windshield to the guy who was installing it -- anyway there was a scandal where three guys from one glass installer company were fired because they were going around and smashing in car windows at night in the hopes of driving up business for where they worked.
posted by hippybear at 6:56 PM on May 20 [4 favorites]
luckynerd - you didn't happen to go on Grand Ave through Diamond Bar and up over the hill? That's a fun drive.
posted by drewbage1847 at 7:29 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
posted by drewbage1847 at 7:29 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
Late last week, Metafilter helped me through an existential crisis as my mother lay in hospice. It had dawned on me the night before that I didn't know the name of a song I had learned to play decades ago by osmosis, listening to her downstairs while I was upstairs doing my homework. The one person who'd know couldn't speak, and I didn't know at the time that she was so close to death.
Metafilter came through about an hour after she died.
It was the inevitable denouement after years of health troubles. She went into the ER on April 29 with many of her usual complaints. A CT scan showed something new, though — troubling signs in her lungs and liver — and an oncologist gaver her a preliminary cancer diagnosis. The hospital sent her home on May 2 to rest up for a PET scan that was actually scheduled for today, the 20th. On Mother's Day, she went back into the ER and was admitted again. On 5/15, she started hospice care at the hospital because her condition was too poor for a trip home. She just slipped away quietly in the late afternoon on the 18th, surrounded by assembled family and holding my hand.
This is a lousy club to be in, and I'm already tired of all of the entirely well-meaning people telling me how I'm going to feel and how it went for them. Cancer fucking sucks.
posted by emelenjr at 8:37 PM on May 20 [38 favorites]
Metafilter came through about an hour after she died.
It was the inevitable denouement after years of health troubles. She went into the ER on April 29 with many of her usual complaints. A CT scan showed something new, though — troubling signs in her lungs and liver — and an oncologist gaver her a preliminary cancer diagnosis. The hospital sent her home on May 2 to rest up for a PET scan that was actually scheduled for today, the 20th. On Mother's Day, she went back into the ER and was admitted again. On 5/15, she started hospice care at the hospital because her condition was too poor for a trip home. She just slipped away quietly in the late afternoon on the 18th, surrounded by assembled family and holding my hand.
This is a lousy club to be in, and I'm already tired of all of the entirely well-meaning people telling me how I'm going to feel and how it went for them. Cancer fucking sucks.
posted by emelenjr at 8:37 PM on May 20 [38 favorites]
emelenjr I'm so sorry for your loss and may your mother's memory be a blessing. I'm glad to hear she was surrounded by family and passed away peacefully.
Fuck Cancer.
posted by hippybear at 8:40 PM on May 20 [8 favorites]
Fuck Cancer.
posted by hippybear at 8:40 PM on May 20 [8 favorites]
My set list is Night Scented Stock; really strongly scented heirloom sweetpeas like Cupani, Black Night, Beaujolais, and April in Paris; Night Scented Stock; Black hollyhocks; Black Prince snapdragons; Night Scented Stock.
Ok, yes; but have you considered Night Scented Stock?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:59 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
Ok, yes; but have you considered Night Scented Stock?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:59 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
Or perhaps Night Scent Stalker? For a bit more of a thrill?
posted by hippybear at 9:02 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 9:02 PM on May 20 [1 favorite]
This is a lousy club to be in, and I'm already tired of all of the entirely well-meaning people telling me how I'm going to feel and how it went for them.
The book “It’s ok that you’re not ok” may be helpful with learning to carry the burden of grief.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:16 PM on May 20 [10 favorites]
The book “It’s ok that you’re not ok” may be helpful with learning to carry the burden of grief.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:16 PM on May 20 [10 favorites]
I’m sorry for your loss, emelenjr.
jenfullmoon, congrats on the new gig — I’m cheering over here!
I gave a talk yesterday to a new audience. Prep for that situation is always a little bit nerve-wracking, because I don’t have the same shared context that I do when talking to my lab, e.g., and it can be hard to know where to include extra details and where to cut them. But the work was well received. I’ve got another talk in a couple weeks, this one to the big research group — an update on a talk I gave maybe 18 months ago — so time to start prepping for that one. And a talk that my boss is giving at the giant conference in late July — I did the analysis but giant conferences are just not my scene, and he’s all too happy to step in on this one as long as I hand him the slide deck. So I guess what I’m saying is my professional life these days is all about PowerPoint.
posted by eirias at 4:27 AM on May 21 [7 favorites]
jenfullmoon, congrats on the new gig — I’m cheering over here!
I gave a talk yesterday to a new audience. Prep for that situation is always a little bit nerve-wracking, because I don’t have the same shared context that I do when talking to my lab, e.g., and it can be hard to know where to include extra details and where to cut them. But the work was well received. I’ve got another talk in a couple weeks, this one to the big research group — an update on a talk I gave maybe 18 months ago — so time to start prepping for that one. And a talk that my boss is giving at the giant conference in late July — I did the analysis but giant conferences are just not my scene, and he’s all too happy to step in on this one as long as I hand him the slide deck. So I guess what I’m saying is my professional life these days is all about PowerPoint.
posted by eirias at 4:27 AM on May 21 [7 favorites]
Brandon Blatcher: The book “It’s ok that you’re not ok” may be helpful with learning to carry the burden of grief.
I'm very confused, but that ended up being free. Brandon Blatcher, thank you so much.
posted by emelenjr at 5:30 AM on May 21 [3 favorites]
I'm very confused, but that ended up being free. Brandon Blatcher, thank you so much.
posted by emelenjr at 5:30 AM on May 21 [3 favorites]
but I got to trade out to probably one of the few exceptions to your "there are only 6 apartment plans in Chicago".
Oh no, "completely bonkers attic apartment" is definitely one of the six! 4-square, 2-flat, long boi with square front sunroom (optional back sunroom), studio (includes the studios that mysteriously have a dining room???), front bedroom railroad guy, bonkers attic.
(I have not included lofts or new-construction, large-building units because I feel like they are not regionally distinctive)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:11 AM on May 21 [3 favorites]
Oh no, "completely bonkers attic apartment" is definitely one of the six! 4-square, 2-flat, long boi with square front sunroom (optional back sunroom), studio (includes the studios that mysteriously have a dining room???), front bedroom railroad guy, bonkers attic.
(I have not included lofts or new-construction, large-building units because I feel like they are not regionally distinctive)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:11 AM on May 21 [3 favorites]
(emelenjr I am sorry for your loss -- it is indeed a shitty club and I'm sorry you've had to join it)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:14 AM on May 21 [3 favorites]
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:14 AM on May 21 [3 favorites]
Spouse and I bought the house we were renting with copious amounts of help from family and friends. Extra bonus points for not having to move, but...now the fun of fixing all the things we had been bugging our landlord about for 6 years.
posted by schyler523 at 7:50 AM on May 21 [10 favorites]
posted by schyler523 at 7:50 AM on May 21 [10 favorites]
My mother's having brain surgery today.
OK, technically it's not brain surgery, but about 35 years ago she had a tumor removed -- it wasn't growing out of her brain, it was (I think) growing out of the lining of skull and pressing down onto her brain, putting her at risk for an aneurysm. Back then the first sign of the tumor was that her vision suddenly became 20/20 again because the tumor was changing the shape of her eyeballs from the back. Still, she was a woman in her late 30s, so even though they had to open her skull to remove it, they were confident they got it all and her recovery was mostly good.
Now fast forward to this past March, when she slipped on wet stairs and fell down, broke her nose. That led to her getting a new set of X-rays and CT scans, which led to the discovery of three things: (1) A small tumor, not as big as the original but growing in the same place, (2) a mucosa (basically a snot bubble) blocked up and taking some space inside her skull cavity, and oh yeah (3) SHE STILL HAD A PIECE OF HER SKULL MISSING at the top of her head that the doctors never reattached properly.
The doctors told her that if she waited too long to deal with this, it was possible that surgeons would deem the surgery too risky because of her age. And even though medical technology has advanced in the past few decades, there's no way to deal with it other than to saw her skull open again. My sister's at the hospital right now waiting for the procedure to complete, and I suppose I'll get there as soon as I can leave work.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:21 AM on May 21 [8 favorites]
OK, technically it's not brain surgery, but about 35 years ago she had a tumor removed -- it wasn't growing out of her brain, it was (I think) growing out of the lining of skull and pressing down onto her brain, putting her at risk for an aneurysm. Back then the first sign of the tumor was that her vision suddenly became 20/20 again because the tumor was changing the shape of her eyeballs from the back. Still, she was a woman in her late 30s, so even though they had to open her skull to remove it, they were confident they got it all and her recovery was mostly good.
Now fast forward to this past March, when she slipped on wet stairs and fell down, broke her nose. That led to her getting a new set of X-rays and CT scans, which led to the discovery of three things: (1) A small tumor, not as big as the original but growing in the same place, (2) a mucosa (basically a snot bubble) blocked up and taking some space inside her skull cavity, and oh yeah (3) SHE STILL HAD A PIECE OF HER SKULL MISSING at the top of her head that the doctors never reattached properly.
The doctors told her that if she waited too long to deal with this, it was possible that surgeons would deem the surgery too risky because of her age. And even though medical technology has advanced in the past few decades, there's no way to deal with it other than to saw her skull open again. My sister's at the hospital right now waiting for the procedure to complete, and I suppose I'll get there as soon as I can leave work.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:21 AM on May 21 [8 favorites]
4-square, 2-flat, long boi with square front sunroom (optional back sunroom), studio (includes the studios that mysteriously have a dining room???), front bedroom railroad guy, bonkers attic.
Thank you for sharing your taxonomy! I was curious about it.
posted by notoriety public at 8:21 AM on May 21 [1 favorite]
Thank you for sharing your taxonomy! I was curious about it.
posted by notoriety public at 8:21 AM on May 21 [1 favorite]
emelenjr, so very sorry for your loss. People can be idiots around grief.
drewbage1847, no it was the 142 that roughly parallels the 57. I've done the route you mentioned before on Friday nights when I'd dare to go up to Victorville, alongside all the people going to Vegas.
posted by luckynerd at 8:23 AM on May 21 [2 favorites]
drewbage1847, no it was the 142 that roughly parallels the 57. I've done the route you mentioned before on Friday nights when I'd dare to go up to Victorville, alongside all the people going to Vegas.
posted by luckynerd at 8:23 AM on May 21 [2 favorites]
Im so sorry, emelenjr.
posted by clew at 8:59 AM on May 21 [3 favorites]
posted by clew at 8:59 AM on May 21 [3 favorites]
"guess who brought these panties for you" thing, so I'm going to crochet her a pair
I hardly ever finish Irish lace projects but display panties can be, mm, arbitrarily small, yes?
posted by clew at 9:00 AM on May 21 [5 favorites]
I hardly ever finish Irish lace projects but display panties can be, mm, arbitrarily small, yes?
posted by clew at 9:00 AM on May 21 [5 favorites]
We said goodbye to our very best boy, Emery, early Sunday morning and everything sucks and the house is too quiet, even with the cats still here.
Fuck cancer.
posted by cooker girl at 9:21 AM on May 21 [15 favorites]
Fuck cancer.
posted by cooker girl at 9:21 AM on May 21 [15 favorites]
oh, cooker girl, I'm sorry. He is beautiful and looks so serene and well-cared for. I am sure you gave him a wonderful home for the time he was here.
posted by eirias at 9:29 AM on May 21 [4 favorites]
posted by eirias at 9:29 AM on May 21 [4 favorites]
@luckynerd - funny that runs right into Grand and I have never once in 28 years of living in LA been on it!
Death really is the kicker that makes life seem cruel. Cancer took our Betty girl a while back and we still feel it.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:40 AM on May 21 [4 favorites]
Death really is the kicker that makes life seem cruel. Cancer took our Betty girl a while back and we still feel it.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:40 AM on May 21 [4 favorites]
We said goodbye to my best buddy Boo on Thursday. He had tremendous personality. One story regarding his obsession with carbs: we had learned that we couldn't leave any bread, tortillas, or anything else made from flour lying out. One day I came home from work and went upstairs to the bedroom. He had a little cat tent there. I could see that there was something in it under the cushion. Friends, it was a ziploc bag of chocolate chip cookies that he had snatched from the kitchen counter and dragged upstairs and hidden.
One thing we've done with each of our departed cats (now 3 in the last 2 years) is immediately get photos printed and placed around the house. His photos are in the mail.
posted by neuron at 9:54 AM on May 21 [14 favorites]
One thing we've done with each of our departed cats (now 3 in the last 2 years) is immediately get photos printed and placed around the house. His photos are in the mail.
posted by neuron at 9:54 AM on May 21 [14 favorites]
it was a ziploc bag of chocolate chip cookies that he had snatched from the kitchen counter and dragged upstairs and hidden.
I mean, who can blame him?
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:19 AM on May 21 [5 favorites]
I mean, who can blame him?
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:19 AM on May 21 [5 favorites]
"A year ago I was living out of my car in a Wal-Mart parking lot."
@JustSayNoDawg... you do indeed win. High five from here on the other side of The Pond.
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 2:00 PM on May 21 [5 favorites]
@JustSayNoDawg... you do indeed win. High five from here on the other side of The Pond.
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 2:00 PM on May 21 [5 favorites]
I'll turn 42 toward the end of the month. It's just a number, but I will say that being "in my forties" is a new feeling for me. It doesn't feel quite the same as being in my twenties or my thirties. I feel more grounded in some ways, less concerned with the way others perceive or think of me. Less interested in keeping my personal and professional selves in separate boxes.
At the same time, however, I've lost count of how often I'll write out a full comment and then simply close the window without posting. I used to be a much more active commenter here.
I guess I've become more critical of myself, and now when I look at what I've written out, I often think "why do I want to post this? Who is this for? Is this just showing off or something?" and then I close the window instead. I'm not really sad about it, but I'm not sure why I suddenly feel this way either.
In other news, it's a beautiful spring day!
posted by Doleful Creature at 2:01 PM on May 21 [8 favorites]
At the same time, however, I've lost count of how often I'll write out a full comment and then simply close the window without posting. I used to be a much more active commenter here.
I guess I've become more critical of myself, and now when I look at what I've written out, I often think "why do I want to post this? Who is this for? Is this just showing off or something?" and then I close the window instead. I'm not really sad about it, but I'm not sure why I suddenly feel this way either.
In other news, it's a beautiful spring day!
posted by Doleful Creature at 2:01 PM on May 21 [8 favorites]
emelenjr, I’m so sorry for your loss. May the stupid shit you hear be minimal.
neuron stealing bags of chocolate chip cookies is epic level catting.
There is an absolutely adorable, sweet, orange and white fellow who likes to visit our yard every day. (I’m certain he belongs to someone, he looks well fed and is rather social). Mayhem hates him. Every time she sees him, even if it is through a closed window, she lets out a scream that rattles my nerves and sends Menace diving for cover. And sends that poor cat racing away. Poor Mayhem. Poor orange kitty who just wants to make friends through the window.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:01 PM on May 21 [5 favorites]
neuron stealing bags of chocolate chip cookies is epic level catting.
There is an absolutely adorable, sweet, orange and white fellow who likes to visit our yard every day. (I’m certain he belongs to someone, he looks well fed and is rather social). Mayhem hates him. Every time she sees him, even if it is through a closed window, she lets out a scream that rattles my nerves and sends Menace diving for cover. And sends that poor cat racing away. Poor Mayhem. Poor orange kitty who just wants to make friends through the window.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:01 PM on May 21 [5 favorites]
The continued urge to wish that Michael Franti in his Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy guise would re-record "Television, the Drug of the Nation" to include social media and the Internet. The lyrics even today sound less like the once-considered pernicious influence of TV than what social media does to brains.
posted by Kitteh at 6:04 AM on May 22 [2 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 6:04 AM on May 22 [2 favorites]
Poor orange kitty who just wants to make friends through the window.Eponysomething or other Oh, Hell I give up okthxbi
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:01 PM on May 21
posted by y2karl at 7:19 AM on May 22 [6 favorites]
Guys there's such an enormous bee in my house and he is so cute and so stupid. Not only can he not find his way back out the large window whence he came, but he also has managed to get himself stuck in my office rug, spin around uselessly in circles for fully a minute, and when freed, flown smack directly into the wall.
I see all these videos where bees can solve puzzles and recognize faces and just generally be unsettlingly intelligent but boy howdy, not this guy.
I feel so terribly for him but also am laughing so very hard.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 2:46 PM on May 22 [3 favorites]
I see all these videos where bees can solve puzzles and recognize faces and just generally be unsettlingly intelligent but boy howdy, not this guy.
I feel so terribly for him but also am laughing so very hard.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 2:46 PM on May 22 [3 favorites]
Charging around like a bee in a china shop!
posted by hippybear at 2:57 PM on May 22 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 2:57 PM on May 22 [1 favorite]
Soooooo the terrible boss has now been officially notified that she's now on a 30-day suspension. We'll find out more info tomorrow at the "all hands" meeting (which for us is the Board and 5 full time staff).
My coworker and I just spent the last half-hour going through all the sign-ins she has and either removing her access or changing the password. I felt like a hacker guessing some of the security questions (but I got them right! ...she may be a terrible boss, but she's not much of a complicated person), but we've reset the ones that would be most concerning for her to have access to, and then we'll touch base tomorrow about anything else we think may be outstanding. We were more concerned about the communications than the financial just because of her ego and trying to contact people.
I still get pangs of "are we just causing a fuss for no reason" but then I keep getting reminded of how she is a Terrible Boss -- I just discovered something new yesterday that could have serious legal ramifications if the person involved wasn't so nice and not likely to sue us (and this has been added to the growing documentation pile). We have a PR firm and lawyers as part of the meeting tomorrow so we'll know the best way to communicate to our clients and the public as to what is going on while an official investigation is conducted. Although I think everyone is secretly hoping she sees the writing on the wall and decides to quit gracefully and move on to something new.
posted by paisley sheep at 3:22 PM on May 22 [2 favorites]
My coworker and I just spent the last half-hour going through all the sign-ins she has and either removing her access or changing the password. I felt like a hacker guessing some of the security questions (but I got them right! ...she may be a terrible boss, but she's not much of a complicated person), but we've reset the ones that would be most concerning for her to have access to, and then we'll touch base tomorrow about anything else we think may be outstanding. We were more concerned about the communications than the financial just because of her ego and trying to contact people.
I still get pangs of "are we just causing a fuss for no reason" but then I keep getting reminded of how she is a Terrible Boss -- I just discovered something new yesterday that could have serious legal ramifications if the person involved wasn't so nice and not likely to sue us (and this has been added to the growing documentation pile). We have a PR firm and lawyers as part of the meeting tomorrow so we'll know the best way to communicate to our clients and the public as to what is going on while an official investigation is conducted. Although I think everyone is secretly hoping she sees the writing on the wall and decides to quit gracefully and move on to something new.
posted by paisley sheep at 3:22 PM on May 22 [2 favorites]
Not wanting to get political, but the Nerd Avengers are back. Smart people discussing things. Helps my sanity.
posted by hippybear at 3:34 PM on May 22
posted by hippybear at 3:34 PM on May 22
So, today was the last day with my therapist. He's moving to Phoenix to pursue his doctorate. I'm being reassigned to someone else in the practice, and will be getting every other week appointments for a while.
It was an interesting "exit interview" with my therapist. We both remarked on how far I've come in the nearly 6 months of seeing him. He told me that I'm one of the best patients he's had as far as doing the behavior health goals outside of therapy. I mean, I'm desperate to get well! But that felt good. I guess there are people who get into therapy and then discuss doing things in their lives and never do any of those things? I'm new to this -- I didn't know it was an option! ;)
My new therapist will be a gay white male in his mid-50s. Okay, well, that's me! He will apparently be a different personality but my therapist said he was thinking of recommending someone quite different because maybe that would be good for me.
My only real regret is that I feel like I was JUST beginning to develop a trust relationship with this person to where I was starting to feel comfortable talking about things a bit deeper in my life. So... that is a bit of a reset to square one with a new person.
Otherwise, I'm interested in this change. My first appointment will be next week, so we'll see how that goes!
posted by hippybear at 3:46 PM on May 22 [3 favorites]
It was an interesting "exit interview" with my therapist. We both remarked on how far I've come in the nearly 6 months of seeing him. He told me that I'm one of the best patients he's had as far as doing the behavior health goals outside of therapy. I mean, I'm desperate to get well! But that felt good. I guess there are people who get into therapy and then discuss doing things in their lives and never do any of those things? I'm new to this -- I didn't know it was an option! ;)
My new therapist will be a gay white male in his mid-50s. Okay, well, that's me! He will apparently be a different personality but my therapist said he was thinking of recommending someone quite different because maybe that would be good for me.
My only real regret is that I feel like I was JUST beginning to develop a trust relationship with this person to where I was starting to feel comfortable talking about things a bit deeper in my life. So... that is a bit of a reset to square one with a new person.
Otherwise, I'm interested in this change. My first appointment will be next week, so we'll see how that goes!
posted by hippybear at 3:46 PM on May 22 [3 favorites]
I sent out an application at 10 am yesterday. Only four hours later someone responded to schedule an interview for sometime next week.
Yeah, I think I'm going to be fine.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:46 AM on May 23 [5 favorites]
Yeah, I think I'm going to be fine.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:46 AM on May 23 [5 favorites]
I used the phrase “I have words” in a work email today, and dang I really want to be able to use those words.
Watching Romancing the Stone now, a good palate cleanser after traffic, shots and more traffic.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:31 PM on May 23 [2 favorites]
Watching Romancing the Stone now, a good palate cleanser after traffic, shots and more traffic.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:31 PM on May 23 [2 favorites]
I had to schedule a dental appointment next week before I lose my good insurance, also I have a weird problem. I am going to be so screwed on dental care with new job because I can't get "the good dental care" for two years and both current dental practitioners were all "we don't take any of those insurances, only Delta Dental, and you're going to have to switch dentists and you'll hate them," etc. I'm a Problem Child dentally and part of why I hung on to my hell job was to not lose the good insurance. I'm seriously considering paying out of pocket for Delta Dental for two years now.
Other than that, new job's awesome, I am sitting around taking tons of online classes.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:22 PM on May 23 [2 favorites]
Other than that, new job's awesome, I am sitting around taking tons of online classes.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:22 PM on May 23 [2 favorites]
So... what is everybody doing this weekend?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:32 AM on May 24
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:32 AM on May 24
Doors Open Toronto is this weekend, though my partner's butt inspection is Saturday afternoon so we'll be taking it easy on the one day and having some adventures the other.
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:00 AM on May 24 [2 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:00 AM on May 24 [2 favorites]
So... what is everybody doing this weekend?
My SIL, her kids, and husband are coming over from the UK for their annual visit. We're headed over to my in-laws this weekend so we can see them as usual. Looks like amazing weather too.
Because my MIL can be high-strung, I have my stash of edibles to keep me from becoming sassy with her.
posted by Kitteh at 8:27 AM on May 24 [2 favorites]
My SIL, her kids, and husband are coming over from the UK for their annual visit. We're headed over to my in-laws this weekend so we can see them as usual. Looks like amazing weather too.
Because my MIL can be high-strung, I have my stash of edibles to keep me from becoming sassy with her.
posted by Kitteh at 8:27 AM on May 24 [2 favorites]
Going to a bunch of shows, possible rehearsal, online play reading, tiki bar.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:15 AM on May 24 [2 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:15 AM on May 24 [2 favorites]
I don't know how your day is going but I just gave our dog Rango a Dutch butter cookie and his first chomp broke it into a million crumbs which he then chased down one by one in a panic, as though one of the humans around was going to drop to their knees to get to them first.
So it's pretty fun here.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:29 AM on May 24 [4 favorites]
So it's pretty fun here.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:29 AM on May 24 [4 favorites]
So... what is everybody doing this weekend?
The same thing we do every weekend, Pinky.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:31 AM on May 24 [7 favorites]
The same thing we do every weekend, Pinky.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:31 AM on May 24 [7 favorites]
I will be going to volunteer orientation for Pride, which I'm volunteering for this year. It will be nice to get out and be social! And then also Pride is approaching quickly!
posted by hippybear at 11:53 AM on May 24 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 11:53 AM on May 24 [2 favorites]
For what it's worth, night scented stocks are the tiny pink flowers in this picture. The Black Knight sweetpeas are just beginning to climb the bamboo sticks. At least one -- so far -- of my strong smelling sweet peas starts is of the original Cupani, which grow wild in Sicily and are the ancestors of all sweet peas growing today. Save Lathyrus latifolius perennial sweetpeas which are ubiquitous and considered invasive world wide but unfortunately have no scent at all. Now if there's ever a candidate for a scented GMO version, I can't think of one better. Imagine what the world would be like if they came with the scent of heirloom sweetpeas. You see stands of them studded along freeways everywhere hereabouts. Now that would make a hella commute.
posted by y2karl at 1:29 PM on May 24 [2 favorites]
posted by y2karl at 1:29 PM on May 24 [2 favorites]
The Black Knight sweetpeas are just beginning to climb the bamboo sticks.
As opposed to the Dark Knight's sweetpea who climbs buildings.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:47 PM on May 24 [1 favorite]
As opposed to the Dark Knight's sweetpea who climbs buildings.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:47 PM on May 24 [1 favorite]
They're covering us for a new roof!
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:52 PM on May 20
ISWYDT
posted by sOCK dRUNKPUPPET at 9:04 PM on May 24 [2 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:52 PM on May 20
ISWYDT
posted by sOCK dRUNKPUPPET at 9:04 PM on May 24 [2 favorites]
Mod note: hmmm. A couple deleted -- not so sure a sock for being drunk on the metafilter is a great idea, sorry! Still, hugs, drunkpuppet, and drink lots of water!
posted by taz (staff) at 3:03 AM on May 25 [2 favorites]
posted by taz (staff) at 3:03 AM on May 25 [2 favorites]
So... what is everybody doing this weekend?
I'd already booked the hotel and the transport for a weekend upstate when I got canned, so I am still doing that. I'm sitting in a little suite with a back deck and a view of a mountain right now, and last night I was sitting out on that deck doing nothing but drinking tea and watching the fireflies, and becoming even more certain that I'm going to go completely Stereotypical Brooklyn Hipster and retire up here someday.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:40 AM on May 25 [3 favorites]
I'd already booked the hotel and the transport for a weekend upstate when I got canned, so I am still doing that. I'm sitting in a little suite with a back deck and a view of a mountain right now, and last night I was sitting out on that deck doing nothing but drinking tea and watching the fireflies, and becoming even more certain that I'm going to go completely Stereotypical Brooklyn Hipster and retire up here someday.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:40 AM on May 25 [3 favorites]
last night I was sitting out on that deck doing nothing but drinking tea and watching the fireflies
That sounds like heaven.
Errands today. Kiddo is signed up with a sports group to train (not play, he does not feel ready for that yet) and has practice. Possibly a visit to spouse’s family tomorrow. A bike ride at some point if the weather remains good.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:32 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]
That sounds like heaven.
Errands today. Kiddo is signed up with a sports group to train (not play, he does not feel ready for that yet) and has practice. Possibly a visit to spouse’s family tomorrow. A bike ride at some point if the weather remains good.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:32 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]
Hanging in till Monday.
Unexpectedly lost my job a short while back - had been there for decades and did not see it coming. They decided to restructure. Took awhile of downtime to realize that I wasn’t anywhere close to loving the job for YEARS and that it’s a good thing. Panic attacks have subsided, my cell phone has become very quiet, and the old job is no longer running as a background process in all I do.
My reputation in what I do is very good, so I do have a few opportunities I’m working.
The cool thing is I used to laugh and sing and joke with my wife - and I didn’t realize exactly how much the last few years had fundamentally changed me.
We are finally singing stupid lyrics to familiar songs again, cooking on the grill, dancing in the kitchen… and man, have I missed that!
I went to open mic for the first time since Covid started and sang an original song (seemed to get a good reception!), and I am enjoying doing next to nothing.
Until Monday. Monday, I am going to start to reclaim my life, but at a different pace. I feel stupid for letting a job pull me in that hard, but thankful that the job was taken away, and grateful that they decided I needed to go, because for whatever reason, I just couldn’t turn it loose myself.
Onto the next thing!
posted by kabong the wiser at 5:07 AM on May 25 [6 favorites]
Unexpectedly lost my job a short while back - had been there for decades and did not see it coming. They decided to restructure. Took awhile of downtime to realize that I wasn’t anywhere close to loving the job for YEARS and that it’s a good thing. Panic attacks have subsided, my cell phone has become very quiet, and the old job is no longer running as a background process in all I do.
My reputation in what I do is very good, so I do have a few opportunities I’m working.
The cool thing is I used to laugh and sing and joke with my wife - and I didn’t realize exactly how much the last few years had fundamentally changed me.
We are finally singing stupid lyrics to familiar songs again, cooking on the grill, dancing in the kitchen… and man, have I missed that!
I went to open mic for the first time since Covid started and sang an original song (seemed to get a good reception!), and I am enjoying doing next to nothing.
Until Monday. Monday, I am going to start to reclaim my life, but at a different pace. I feel stupid for letting a job pull me in that hard, but thankful that the job was taken away, and grateful that they decided I needed to go, because for whatever reason, I just couldn’t turn it loose myself.
Onto the next thing!
posted by kabong the wiser at 5:07 AM on May 25 [6 favorites]
This weekend, I’m paying extra attention to the wonderful periodical cicadas all around me. I love them so. Magicicada!
My bestie knows me so well. She visited our local nature center and got me a cicada keychain, and added to it an extra key to her place. I feel super special. We’re going to a cookout at her folks’ house later. It’s been said “You can’t eat at everybody’s house” 🎶 but I’m confident about this one. I made a Suddenly Salad - the bacon and ranch variety. Used some ranch dressing instead of the full recipe portion of the mayonnaise. It slaps. Fast, cheap, AND good.
Started watching BRIDGERTON for the first time. I can see what the hype is about. The classical versions of pop songs took me out. Lol I can already see why Queen Charlotte has her own spin off.
Tonight, and nearly every Saturday night, I’ll be watching SVENGOOLIE. “Destroy All Monsters!” (1968) is our creature feature.
I’d better finish planting these pots on my balcony. So late for me. Just haven’t had the energy. Been prioritizing leisure ahead of things that can wait.
posted by edithkeeler at 6:17 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]
My bestie knows me so well. She visited our local nature center and got me a cicada keychain, and added to it an extra key to her place. I feel super special. We’re going to a cookout at her folks’ house later. It’s been said “You can’t eat at everybody’s house” 🎶 but I’m confident about this one. I made a Suddenly Salad - the bacon and ranch variety. Used some ranch dressing instead of the full recipe portion of the mayonnaise. It slaps. Fast, cheap, AND good.
Started watching BRIDGERTON for the first time. I can see what the hype is about. The classical versions of pop songs took me out. Lol I can already see why Queen Charlotte has her own spin off.
Tonight, and nearly every Saturday night, I’ll be watching SVENGOOLIE. “Destroy All Monsters!” (1968) is our creature feature.
I’d better finish planting these pots on my balcony. So late for me. Just haven’t had the energy. Been prioritizing leisure ahead of things that can wait.
posted by edithkeeler at 6:17 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]
(sleep)
(sobers up)
(water)
(coffee)
(brand new sockpuppet)
(reflects that it seemed easier to figure out how to switch to the classic theme when I was inebriated)
(checks thread)
oh
well
posted by Sober Sockpuppet, Esq. at 8:42 AM on May 25 [6 favorites]
(sobers up)
(water)
(coffee)
(brand new sockpuppet)
(reflects that it seemed easier to figure out how to switch to the classic theme when I was inebriated)
(checks thread)
oh
well
posted by Sober Sockpuppet, Esq. at 8:42 AM on May 25 [6 favorites]
periodical cicadas
I imagine them all sitting around reading magazines and jouirnals.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:36 AM on May 25 [3 favorites]
I imagine them all sitting around reading magazines and jouirnals.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:36 AM on May 25 [3 favorites]
Helping an ex-tenant establish "i have nowhere to go" so they can get priority access to supportive housing apparently involves being interviewed by the cops. JFC not on my bingo card for the day, week, month.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:41 AM on May 25 [2 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:41 AM on May 25 [2 favorites]
magazines and jouirnals.
Jouirnals are similar to journals, by the way. It's difficult to tell the difference between them...especially when you haven't had coffee yet.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:52 AM on May 25 [4 favorites]
Jouirnals are similar to journals, by the way. It's difficult to tell the difference between them...especially when you haven't had coffee yet.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:52 AM on May 25 [4 favorites]
(btw, still love you all, I'll shut up now :-)
posted by Sober Sockpuppet, Esq. at 11:43 AM on May 25 [3 favorites]
posted by Sober Sockpuppet, Esq. at 11:43 AM on May 25 [3 favorites]
Volunteer Orientation for Pride had a TON of people there, and the volunteer coordinator got a bit misty a couple of times looking at the crowd. I'm told that Spokane Pride is now the largest event thrown in the city every year, surpassing the community fun run Bloomsday, with an expected crowd of 60,000 across the Saturday event. I'm really excited to be a part of this event in a way more than simply attending!
posted by hippybear at 11:48 AM on May 25 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 11:48 AM on May 25 [2 favorites]
In theory I should be a bit more fiscally responsible. But I now have a new outfit of peasant top and Thai pants, some crystals from a flea market stall (they were a buck each), and some delicious mint-scented candles; and today I finally went back to one shop and got the stained glass window art recreating the Empress tarot card (it's what I named myself after, y'all).
At least I have exhausted all shopping opportunities here and can't get too much more nuts. From here on out I will be idly wandering and maybe kite flying. I also may hit up this gloriously kitschy pop-up restaurant thing running this week only - a diner where everything is inspired by CheezIts.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:08 AM on May 26
At least I have exhausted all shopping opportunities here and can't get too much more nuts. From here on out I will be idly wandering and maybe kite flying. I also may hit up this gloriously kitschy pop-up restaurant thing running this week only - a diner where everything is inspired by CheezIts.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:08 AM on May 26
Metafilter: In theory I should be a bit more fiscally responsible.
In theory.
Indeed.
posted by hippybear at 9:45 AM on May 26
In theory.
Indeed.
posted by hippybear at 9:45 AM on May 26
I just came across this in the wild and had to share ... what happens when you let AI do your "Sally's Beauty Secrets Nail Glue" ad? 💅🏻
posted by taz at 10:21 AM on May 26 [1 favorite]
posted by taz at 10:21 AM on May 26 [1 favorite]
I just imagine all the frazzled AI image bots getting together for happy hour after work, going, "Fingers, man. Fingers. Fingers are sooo fucking fucked up. What ARE they, even?"
posted by taz at 10:28 AM on May 26 [2 favorites]
posted by taz at 10:28 AM on May 26 [2 favorites]
They could all be Pastafarians and think fingers are noodly appendages.
posted by hippybear at 12:45 PM on May 26
posted by hippybear at 12:45 PM on May 26
Rainy and windy today, so no bike ride. Going for a walk through one of the neighborhoods in a bit, as this is the kind of weather that calls for me to take a wander.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 6:46 AM on May 27
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 6:46 AM on May 27
So the same weekend I was up here, I was a 20 minute walk from this popup diner sponsored by Cheezits. It was a stupid enough idea that I got curious and made a couple attempts to check it out. But the lines to get in were INSANE- it would easily have been a 2 hour wait.
I do not need Cheezit-crusted chicken tenders THAT badly.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:16 AM on May 27 [1 favorite]
I do not need Cheezit-crusted chicken tenders THAT badly.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:16 AM on May 27 [1 favorite]
I made pork rind-crusted chicken schnitzel once and the fat/grease combo nearly made me black out. I think I might react the same way to Cheez-It chicken fingers
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:06 PM on May 27 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:06 PM on May 27 [1 favorite]
At a local IRL meetup at someone's house a few years ago, an attendee brought locally fried pork rinds in a brown paper bag (literally with dark stains that indicated freshness). They were both angelically delicate and devilishly tasty. I had to draw a hard line in my mental sand and stay away from them after the first two or three bites; I could see me stuffing myself straight into a coronary on them. I actually forbade the person from telling me where he got them! Dear lord, them's better'n any drug.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:59 PM on May 27
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:59 PM on May 27
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I had a tech interview Thursday. It was good, but it’s for a team of three developers and not a one of them is a woman. Their product manager is. Good for them… but my direct manager when I was being sexually harassed was a woman and so I’m struggling with the idea suggested to me in this interview by that team that having women in positions of power means your team inclusivity will be better.
I was busking over the weekend and there’s a small child who I’ve seen a couple times. He’s super sharp, really interested in the fiddle, and at least nine. I think eight or nine is an easier age for someone with not much experience with kids. So I did the thing I was not really supposed to do and I let him hold my instrument, just like you would in a lesson, with me still holding it as well. And we plucked simple melodies and had a beginning fiddle lesson while his mother watched indulgently. I’m really hoping he goes home and tells his parents he wants to play violin.
My area has a significant East Asian population and there are two tunes that are particularly famous in one of the larger cities of that region. It’s fun to play those tunes and watch if anyone reacts to me. It’s unusual, because culturally how we approach strangers and how we approach busking are very very different. Every once in a while someone recognizes those tunes and is willing to let me see that they did so and that always makes my day.
posted by wurl1tzer_c0 at 12:32 PM on May 20 [21 favorites]